CHICAGO – Derrick Rose wants to do what’s best for Derrick Rose. He has been clear about that from the start of his long, painstaking rehab from knee surgery last spring, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

The Chicago Bulls are going to do what’s best for Derrick Rose. That has been their default position whenever the topic has come up, which only has been every day, repeatedly, for the past 10 months.

Fans of the team should want all parties involved to do what’s best for Derrick Rose. They have been bystanders, cheerleaders and skeptics through this process, investing both money and emotions into the lengthy wait, constantly weighing the short-term against the long-term and mostly coming up stumped.

So let’s make it easy for them here and now:

The Bulls should shut down Derrick Rose till October.

Enough already. The networks and affiliates have more footage of Rose working out and shooting jump shots before Bulls games, locked in eternal preparation, than they ever will be able to use. Fans who arrive early see him out on the United Center court looking so much like the guy they remember, save for the practice gear, and then – poof! – he’s gone. They and everyone else spend much of each evening there bandying about his fate, and then some of them call talk shows or post comments on Web sites and vent as if Rose has changed his name to LeBron or something.

Where Rose’s brother Reggie once laid blame on Bulls general manager Gar Forman and VP of basketball operations John Paxson for somehow contributing to this limbo with their roster management, the player himself recently thrust the timeline of his return into the hands of his deity, whose “honey-do” list already was a little long.

Sorry, but this decision – should he or shouldn’t he? – has to stay between Rose, his doctors, his coaches and the team, erring always on the side of caution.

They’re there now. Shut him down.

The Bulls have only 14 games left on their regular-season schedule. One comes tonight in Minnesota, the tail end of a back-to-back. The next comes Wednesday against the barreling locomotive that is the Miami Heat. After that, it’s down to a dozen, a small window – more of a transom, actually – for Rose to work his way into NBA game shape and pace, for his teammates to adapt, for head coach Tom Thibodeau to fight his orneriest instincts and manage Rose’s minutes for the player’s benefit rather than the team’s.

Three weeks from next weekend, the playoffs begin. Chicago is mired in that pack of five East wannabes-to-also-rans (some would say seven) who are neither good enough to seriously challenge Miami nor, with No. 9 Philadelphia sputtering at 16 games under .500, bad enough to fall out of the seedings. The Bulls look like a one-and-done team without Rose; with him, still rusty and maybe on a slightly longer minutes leash, they could push it to the second round.

That is not worth it. Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf and the Bulls’ other owners don’t need and shouldn’t want two or three extra home gates that badly. Fans in Chicago, who have deferred their gratification this long, surely can wait a little longer – they’re good in this town at the wait-till-next-year mantra. And Rose, when he does come back, needs to be on the floor as a recovering knee-surgery patient in the final stage of his rehab, not as a savior or a leading scorer or as the hero of a slick campaign of sneaker commercials.

Look, it was one thing when doctors’ pegged Rose’s return, on a purely physical timeline, at late February or early March. That left 20 or more games to adjust, assimilate, navigate some lows along with some highs.

It was different, too, when the Bulls were a team in waiting, all pieces in place, ready for Rose’s return to chase the same prize they’d have been eyeing had he never gotten hurt at all. But that team doesn’t exist anymore. Several of his teammates are broken down physically, most recently center Joakim Noah missing this weekend with a flare-up of some persistent plantar fasciitis. Kirk Hinrich and Richard Hamilton have been eternally banged-up. Rose himself, like others who undergo ACL procedures, always figured to need a full year or more to regain all or most of his powers.

Meanwhile, some of those not hurting physically beyond the NBA norm for March have been wrung out by the heavier load they’ve lugged in Rose’s absence. And frankly, by the moving goal posts of his return. Luol Deng wouldn’t be making any All-Star teams off his low-ebb performances this month.

Bottom line: The team he would come back to isn’t worthy of what Rose would be expected, or would try himself, to do if he returned this late. Does anyone want to see the Heat’s Dobermans set loose on Rose in his uncertain state for anywhere from four to seven games? Even a feisty George Hill, a rejuvenated Deron Williams or a tenacious Avery Bradley might be too much in a playoff situation and put Rose in harm’s way.

Compared to that, the opportunity to work his way back through eight meaningless games in October when his teammates are fresh and everyone is coming off a layoff of his own (three months if not 15) holds great appeal and all the common sense.

Not a very big fan of D-Rose. But love basketball, agree like all other who love basketball. D-Rose a young player, just rest until the next season can come back strong. We need D-Rose a healthy instead of decision that might shorten his career. Cheer…

there is no other team quit like the Bulls,and that my friend is what makes them so dangerous,just ask the Indiana Pacers. here’s what i think….the Bulls will win against whoever they play in the first round as long as it’s not Miami or Indiana. Derrick Rose will shock everyone and announce that he will play in the second round. his teammates and he will be so geeked that they will blow past whoever they play in the second round and that includes Indiana or Miami. that only leaves the eastern conference finals where Derrick Rose will show the world why there is so much buzz surrounding him. the Chicago Bulls will surprisingly beat the oddsmakers and defeat whoever they play in the finals in six or seven games. a well rested and hungry Rose against a tired and worn out Miami Heat from chasing the record of 33 straight wins will be a push over for Tom Thibodeau’s troops. let me be clear,to a man the Bulls players really do believe that they can play with and most importantly win against anyone regardless of how many injured players they have on the bench. to me that’s the definition of a dangerous team come playoff time.

The only people that dont want derrick rose to come back are the whole city of Miami…he will end the heats winning streak, and beat them in a playoff run for a fact, this so called long term rehab situation has come to a dramatic spree of letting him wait till next year gibberish…the heat want another ring and with Rose out of the way..the heat can succeed..i dont like miami or the heat and i say ‘Rose come back this season and end the hopes and dreams of the miami heat for once !

Lot of off topic posts… but whoever starts calling DRose and Rondo best PGs ever has no clue what they are talking about. Neither are stable mentally, and have inflated numbers because they have the ball in their hands all the time. Rondo can’t even hit a freethrow let alone keep his turnovers under 5 a game… What Rose does have is athleticism, this is why he is able to dominate on the offensive end, he’s a big guy to be playing the PG spot, same as Westbrook.

Anyone that thinks that the Bulls can’t beat the Heat in the playoffs have no clue whatsoever what is going on in the NBA. The Bulls are a very well coached team and are still hanging around for home court advantage in the playoffs, not only without Rose all season, but with injuries to other key members as well, they have been playing short handed all season, and still winning. The Heat are not a great team. They just happen to play gritty defense that relies on steals and run-and-gun fast break. It helps having one of the best SGs and best SFs in the league that just happen to be great closers around the basket. Both of these guys shoot around .500 from the floor. The Heat have no depth, and no size down low. Their 26 game win streak is more a result of an easy schedule that anything else. They won ONE difficult game in this 26 game win streak, it was an away game vs OKC. Their last Away game vs a team that can contend for a ring was against the Pacers, and the Heat lost. Even against the Knicks, who have injuries a plenty, they only won by 6, and it was in a lucky come back where the Knicks basically gave the game away on their poor play in the 4th quarter, not on the Heat’s good play. Take a look at their record against the top Eastern Conference teams, 1-2 against the Knicks, 1-2 against the Pacers, 1-1 against the Bulls, 2-1 against the Nets, under .500 overall… They have the best record in the worst conference, and havent even been able to beat the best teams in the East.

Adding Rose back into the line-up will only help the Bulls in terms of depth, and having him play, even 15-20 minutes a game is the only way for him to know if he’ll be able to get into game shape in time for second round of the playoffs.

If I was buying (or could afford) spring Bulls tickets, I certainly wouldnt be purchasing them to watch Nate Robinson run the point. The argument that he should sit out just because “it’s not worth it” is insulting to any fan who’s paid good money or any player who has played through injury for this team. Derrick Rose just got paid $100 million right before his body broke down last year. Why even suit up for the playoffs if “it’s not worth it”?

Dont get me wrong- I’m a bitter Bulls fan who was crushed when the championship run last year turned into a one-and-done. Then, all fans hope “just wait until the allstar break”. Now, “it’s not worth it”? If the Bulls will be in the playoffs (and they will) then theres no reason to shut it down if there’s a chance his body could get right.

I’d say that a Rose at 80% would help this team significantly- even if was just a jumpshooter and facilitator, but he’s said he’s essentially not playing unless he feels 100%.

This article is a bunch of bs…for one thing Derrick Rose has been medically cleared to play and doctors have looked at it and have said he has no greater risk of reinjuring it than any other player out on the floor. I get it he should take his time to come back and only come back when hes ready. I trust him and i know he knows his own body so yes he should only come back when he feels for sure ready which could still be this season or next but to say shut him down thats ridiculous! Did anyone expect Derrick last season to come back and tear his acl the first game of the playoffs? No. The same thing could happen to Lebron or Dwayne which would leave the East wide open! Things like that happen its part of the game so thats always a factor. And to say no one can compete with the Heat in the East is just stupid. The Bulls have beaten the Heat a couple times even without Derrick Rose and the Pacers have beaten them too. To say dont come back because the Bulls arent composed to be a championship team is dumb because there is always a chance. Like i said there are millions of things that could happen to change the whole landscape of the Eastern conference. Never count a team out in the playoffs. The Heat are good but not that good.

Shut him down? Umm…If Derrick Rose returns, that means he’s over 100% and reinjury shouldn’t be an issue. Remember he’s been cleared from the Doctors for a while now and he has participated in practices. If D-Rose returns this year and his team is healthy they will meet the Heat in the ECF not doubt in my mind. For what it’s worth, I heard this team will be blown up this summer. Next year’s roster will look a bit worse, so perhaps returning this year is ideal for D-Rose if possible.

I’m one of the number 1 fan of Chicago Bulls…..Derrick Rose, comeback when you are ready…You comeback this season or next season..also for Richard Hamilton and Joakim Noah…Getwell soon!..Go Bulls!..God Bless You All!…NBA Fans!

I agree, Rose shouldn´t play in the playoffs with considerable minutes. But what about letting him play the last 5 minutes of the last regular season game. Not in full attack mode or something. Just to get the fans something to talk about and him on the court again. Or let him play at blowout games where one team leads with 20 points 5 minutes before the game ends.

I read through some of the comments. And I find it a bit disturbing that people can have so much hate towards Derrick Rose. The man is very humble. So what if he doesnt return til next season. I personally would rather see a 100% healthy Rose than a 90%. And I dont think he is scared. Nor do I think the Bulls havent supplied the right players for him either. Look at their record. They were considered not to even be this good. And that goes by the report card on NBA.com before the season started. Oh its not easy to come back from a ACL injury. Both physically and mentally. I know cause I have had both knees done. The first one was hard to come back from as I had no idea what to expect. The second was easy as I was prepared. My point is, this is Dericks’ first major injury and it will take him time to get over it. And we all handle injuries different and come back differently. Rubios’ game is not like Roses’ and the same with Shrumpet he doesnt play as major minutes. COME BACK WHEN YOUR READY DERICK…………

Chicago and Drose can wait until LeBron and Dwade retires. He can play by then, better chances. Because “bringing the trophy back to Chicago” will remain a phrase until then. This season belong to the Heat, as well as the next 2-3 more.

Read through some comments and I decided I would chime in. For me, as a fan, it’s not that Rose hasn’t returned…it’s the way both he and the organization have handled it. Doctors cleared him to play yet a mystery as to his return still hangs over this team and its just ridiculous at this point. If he doesn’t return…then I’m good w/ that. But at this point in the season just say it. You’re not returning. Simple. The fans would appreciate the truth and not false hopes.

This whole article can be summarized by saying what you said in the middle of it. With Rose they might squeeze into the second round, but they aren’t getting past the Pacers or Heat by any means without a fully healthy D. Rose and a fully healthy J. Noah. Right now that is impossible so why take a chance.

is not a physical problem anymore
is a psychological problem
he just to afraid to get hurt again
he should retire
because most likely it will happen again
it all in his mind
he don’t need to train his body
he needs to train his mind

I guessed he’d return Mar 31 vs the Pistons. But after hear/reading all things DRose has said, It surely means he doesnt want to play this year @ all. Returning next year seemed to to be the plan in DRoses head. Rose isnt ready (mentally) yet only way to be ready is to play. Besides even with Rose the Bulls wouldnt even make it out the 1st or 2nd round of the playoffs anyways.

no way! derrick you better get ready to come back like right now!! be ready for those playoffs, youre the only hope of giving the heat a challenge! say its mental now? well start playing a little bit, i mean in the real games, just a few minutes, and youll remember how much better of a player you are than everyone else! that will boost your confidence! that will help your mental state and youll be ready for those playoffs man! you better d rose! dont miss this chance, youre ready man! were waiting for ya. much love

I can dig it. But you know what, In that case we should sit our other all-stars for the rest of the season. And Kirk. Give up because we secretly cry behind closed doors that we can’ beat the Heat, admit defeat, retool for next year. I know it sounds like I’m being sarcastic but I’m serious. Chitown should lay in a handicap parking spot in prone position and wave a white flag.

Some people here are just ignorant even if the doctor cleared him to play NO ONE knows his body better than himself. If he says he is still not ready let him take his time. I think that people just mad because he is getting all of this attention if you guys don’t like him just stop reading articles about him

I do not agree with shutting down D. Rose. I say let Rose play but limit his minutes, sit him against the big teams and play him against below average teams, this way he’ll carry the momentum into next season and he’ll get be ready mentally to start off next season.

D Rose is my favourite player by far and as much as I want to see him back starting with the Bulls this season, the argument is too strong in favour of keeping him on the bench until next. It makes sense and is at the best interest of Rose himself, the Bulls and the NBA as a fan-centred league. No one wants to see him re-injure himself and the best bet for that not to happen is precisely what Steve was saying. I don’t think the Bulls or Rose are silly enough at this point in time to bring him back. Here’s to hoping anyway. And here’s to next season!

I simply don’t agree with the comments that the Bulls should shut him down. He’s been cleared to played by his doctors, he’s been in 5on5 practice for a month. The premise that they can’t beat the Heat is simply an absurd argument for why he shouldn’t play. The amount of games remaining aren’t that important either; even his brother’s comments aren’t important. The most important aspect is making sure that your superstar player is confident to play at a high level when HE’S ready, not when everyone else is thinks he should play. Bulls management could’ve said something a long time ago but they firmly believe he’s going to play this year and have left it to him to decide. I’d much rather see him play this season, it can be game 1 in the first round for all I care.Him playing this year is to get his confidence back and get acclimated to the game speed and intensity so that come next season, he’s not thinking about it anymore. The reasons the media continue to give for why he should or shouldn’t play are foolish in my opinion. I’m from Chicago and I applaud the way things have been handled. Respect his decision to work through the mental aspect of recovering and leave it be.

How are people getting mad at Rose for being cautious? The only person that knows his limits are him. Besides coming back from a major injury is more mental than physical. If you have an unsure Rose on the floor he coukd hurt the team because they’ll try and go back to relying on him and he won’t be willing to do what he used to. Look what happened when the HEAT shut down Wade to heal a few years back. He came back to demolish most teams. Give him time. You don’t want to see him turn in to Oden, Arenas, McGrady, etc do you?
By the way; he’s great but not better than CP3.

Guts me to say this, but i agree with the article, shut derrick rose down. Take the rest of the year to rest and get better for the next run. What i dont understand is that if Derrick Rose was cleared to play, but didnt want to, why not work into by playing low minutes in the D-League?

Put the drama behind us, support the Bulls as the team they are now, and look forward to the next season.

Should make it that if you haven’t torm your ACL you can’t write on this blog. That way we would rid ourselves of all the negative comments above. I’m over hearing about Drose return too, but that’s not Derricks fault it’s the dipsticks that continually write articles about his return. Sure he made a video/ad, so what you might to if you could earn the money they can from advertising. The media is the only winner in this argument, stop posting to blogs and they might slow up on the articles. At about 2-3 each week you gotta think the media is largely to blame. Derrick come back when your ready and if it’s this year great, if not there’s always next year.

still, he might as well try to play to get a hold of a in-game physicality which i think might be helpful to regain a little confidence for the next season. 5-8 games maybe not including playoffs for maybe at least 8-10 minutes per game. screw the playoffs, the team has no chance to win a series, let just use the remaining games as a warm up for the next season.

Just admit that you’re afraid of the Heat, you were you are and you will be afraid of them even next season with so called “healthy” roster. You couldn’t beat them before so what will change next year? The answer is NOTHING, i like how you Chicago fans talk big like so many countless others when it comes to the Heat and when it’s time to deliver you’re nowhere to be found LOL. So how stupid can you really be, get off your high horse and smell the coffee, your best player is slowly but surely proving to be a phony because he’s afraid and won’t even try. Next year it will be the same you’re bark the loudest and then be the 1st ones to hide, so good luck with your hopes and pathetic excuses oh and remember to stay as arrogant as you are now so that it’ll be so much sweeter for me to see your downfall LOL.

The only thing the Heat proven is that you can buy a champ ring !!! Bulls fans would rather earn it by draft picks ! Drafted MJ draft day trade for Pipp neather proven yet . So you Heat fans can have those meanless rings that money brought. Fare wheather fans anyways!

All the ignorant people here are thinking that Rose should play just because the doctors cleared him to play. Rose himself said that he’ll return after he can get back to dunking off his left leg. That’s when he’ll be ready mentally to return & in due time he’ll get back to 100% game shape.

playing basketball is not natural to the body. the constant violent back and forth motions on the knees (they are hinge joints, not ball and socket) will end up doing permanent damage to you. yes it’s worth it if you are paid millions to tear or injure your body for life. for a joe shmo, it’s not. the human body was not made to constantly move back and forth, side to side, on the knees.

IN MY HONEST OPINION, this is sounding a lot like summer of 2011 with The Decision. I know Rose probably does not want to come back and play because of his health, fully understand, but the fact that he just doesn’t come out and just say “I won’t be coming back until next season” the bulls and him are just stirring up drama that’s not good for basketball. He has been cleared but doesn’t want to play until he can dunk with confidence, FULLY UNDERSTAND, but that’s just not going to motivate him to return to a losing team because if it would’ve he would’ve came back a while ago. That being said, he’s basically just teasing the fans, teasing the media and quite frankly teasing the Bulls organization and that’s something the NBA does NOT NEED. Hurry up and just come out to say you won’t return, it would be much more relieving than just waiting and thinking “will he, won’t he” or like the article says, bulls SHUT HIM DOWN NOW.

This sure looks like a proposition for changing the team name for “Rose and the other Chicago Bulls”.
I’m against playing injured and stuff like that but if he’s healed enough (which no one knows, sources come from everywhere with different opinions so, as always, truth is away from the people) he should play a couple of minutes even if only in the playoffs. It would be a huge boost for the second unit in my opinion.
But again, it all depends on if he is healthy.
Not playing because the team that hung to that playoff spot doesn’t deserve Rose?!? Because the front office didn’t come up with better players? What the hell man! Why are you trashing those who’ve been busting their buts off?

Steve you are idiotic and I have no idea how you have a job here. NBA.COM has the worst writers! You have no idea whether or not Rose is healthy enough too play so why would you suggest he shut it down. That is his choice and his judgement. I have no idea who hires the writers here but you are honestly idiotic. You wasted time and wrote an article ‘time to shut it down d rose” ? I hope you get fired and people who actually know basketball get hired, maybe even ex-NBA players! Derrick Rose will play if hes healthy, you don’t know if it will be this season or next season. Shut up.

C’mon, Rose is healthy, the doctors said it, so to get injured he have just same chance as in the next season. So there is SAME RISK this season or next season. Why you think he shouldn’t play this season, becouse Bulls not gonna win Miami? Thats not the point! Rose need to play now or later, that’s not about Bulls and chances, thats not about re-injury. That’s about Rose, and when he feels he can play, that’s it. He should play now or in the playoffs, or next season. This is not up to you, this is not up to Bulls, this is about Rose. And if he wants to play, he will play. Big bubble about nothing.

It is quite simple. No one should force it if Rose plays but risks further injury and be sidelined even longer or maybe even ruin his career altogether. He played in Game 1 of last year’s playoffs and got hurt right there, which may have caused him to still be in rehabilitation until now. He clearly wasn’t 100% fit, but they let him in the court and, unfortunately, ended up with catastrophic results. The Bulls are well in position to bring themselves back to championship contention after the Jordan era, but only if their star player has fully recovered and ready to play full-time. It’s not worth fast-tracking Derrick’s healing process if his long-term future is at stake.

Damn, some of these ignorant people annoy me with all their “rose is such a lose omg how come he is scared to play wah wah wah”. Makes me think that none of you have ever had a serious injury to a knee or ankle ligament. I have, not one as bad as Rose’s thankfully, but I’ve torn two ligaments in both my ankles and I can tell you that it actually is scary. It’s not like getting a gash in your forearm or something where you see the wound, then see it heal and boom, you’re all good. What makes it scary I think is that the wound is underneath your skin and hidden in a place where you can’t touch or see it. The only evidence that it’s their is swelling and bruising and of course pain. I can’t really explain it, but when I hurt my left ankle, I was trying to walk around after a couple days of letting it heal and it was fine if I didn’t bend it to hard or anything, but I still had this almost insurmountable feeling that I really shouldn’t be putting any weight on my ankle, and yes it was scary because I felt fine, but my mind was strongly against using my ankle at all, somehow

Just rest the whole season uh. Why not rest your whole basketball career rose? Seriously, There is so much drama on this guy and he doesn’t even look like he wants to play anymore. So why not just retire. He’s being paid a maxed salary and all he does is practice jumpshots. Bulls deserve more than this quitter.

If Drose is getting shutdown then shutdown the team as well lol i rather have some good draft picks thn get hammered by the Heat… And if they wanna make it to these pointless playoffs thn just rest Noah and other starters and aim for the 8th seed, were gonna have to face the heat sooner or later. It would be better if its sooner.

No one cares what you would rather have. You’re not running the team, you don’t have $400,000,000 at stake. No one cares what you want the Bulls to do. Go play NBA Live if you want to run a basketball team.

For a start, Rose or no Rose, Chicago aren’t good enough to beat the Heat over 7 games, so whether he plays or not is irrelevant. A team with Rose for a whole season might give them a challenge, but with the extra fatigue on Noah and Deng to compensate for the lack of Rose this season, Chicago wouldn’t be good enough

Second, Rose won’t be in game shape, you don’t go out for a year, and come back in game shape. Even if Chicago were good enough to challenge Miami, Rose won’t be in full shape by the playoffs, and bringing him back poses the risk of another injury, as despite him being “100%” I can guarantee you his knee isn’t as strong as it was pre-injury.

Third, the way some people talk about Rose you’d think he was some lazy bum. The guy is an ex-MVP and super-competitive, he’s going to be going crazy not playing. It’s not as if he’s going to be sitting there pleased with fact he’s not playing. He’s missing a year out of his career when he could be competing, maybe for a championship. He’s not going to be happy about that. Not as if he’s going to be sitting at home going “yeah, this is the life, I’m fully fit and ready to play, but I’m going to sit on my couch and waste one of the prime years of my career”

What’s best for Derrick Rose is best for the Bulls. He’s the sole reason the franchise is relevant, you’d think the so-called fans of the franchise would show the guy a bit more respect quite honestly. Givem the way a lot of Bulls fans have been about this lately, part of me hopes you never win a championship and Rose gets traded to a franchise where the fans show their players a bit of respect. Christ, you have one of few players in the league that pretty much automatically put in/around the contender bracket, you’d think you’d be a bit more grateful.

Michael Jordan would be ashamed… You Bull fans used to be treated like kings, you had MJ, the most competetive human being ever. And now your reduced to saying “We can’t beat the Heat, so why should Rose come back?” As a Heat fan, the Bulls could have a chance with Rose, but since the fans already admit defeat, I guess the bulls aren’t as good as I thought… I’m not saying Rose should come back tomorrow, but why not come back in the playoffs, get into game shape and just go out there and play your heart out! If Rose is “super-competitive” then why would he delay coming back after the doctors have cleared him? Delaying playing in the games is not the way to do it, because it is the final step in the rehab process. COME BACK ROSE, AND TRY TO KNOCK MIAMI OFF ITS THRONE IN THE EAST!!!

I agree with that too. Just come back next season. Why there only 18 more game left this including playoffs. Next season the bulls will have alll the new pieces in place. Bring in josh smith and a backup center and a few new road players.

Patience is a virtue. Everybody is looking at this from the wrong angle. When D-Rose feels that he is ready to play he should. The next part of his rehab is playing in real games. You have to look at it. That way. If that happens this year great, if not that is ok to. Bulls fans don’t need advice from Toronto fans on winning championships.

They might as well shut him down. I mean really…whats the point of coming back this year? Most of our team is hurt….we got rid of so many pieces….how can we compete with the OKCs and Spurs of the world with only 7-8 players in a rotation? Most being hurt. Folks keep bringing up the money…but i can name you 30+ players that are playing and not earning what theyre getting paid..yet no one talks about them….so stop with the bs! Also..stop comparing the Bulls to other teams. Different type of coach..different system…different injuries. Most of you just want Derrick to come back to fulfill your own desires. Let the Man be.

though his injury is critical, i think he should at least play a little in-game action to give him a better preview for the next season. at least play the last 10 games or so of the season. i think it might help his recovery.

let me make it easy for you here and now:
The Bulls should want Derrick Rose to be active in the play-offs.
Time matters. Having a MVP matters. Rings matter.
The Bulls are one of the few teams who can compete with the Heat, and it’s because of D-Rose.
He worked hard and his comeback will give his teammates new energy. With Noah they have one of the best centers in the league and the will get a lot of stops.

I honestly don’t know that the big deal is with this guy is. Yes, he’s a great player. However, the team was great in the regular season without him most of the way. Then he gets hurt in the playoffs and all of a sudden it’s like they’re the Pistons. The Bulls are obviously a better team with him. However, shut him down for the year. Then the distraction of this whole thing is gone, and he rests up coming back healthy next year.

i think the mindset of “They won’t win anyway” or “They can’t beat the heat anyway” is stupid you don’t just give up and not even try when your team is in the playoffs come on now… I’m not saying they can beat the heat but if rose is healthy he has no reason to not play. he’s been cleared by doctors.

As someone that overcame an ACL injury I have yet to understand the rationale of sitting him if his body is ready to undergo NBA games. The rehab isn’t over until he actually competes in a game. His body has to adjust to the rigors and demands of high competition so him doing it in October is delaying an inevitable and final step in the process. Everybody keeps looking at this from a big picture/playoff/competitive viewpoint and they’re missing the fact that physically Derrick has to relearn the process of playing games in an environment where things aren’t controlled. His body has to learn how to recover the next day. It has to regain that muscle memory that comes with instinctive moves. There are plenty of things he needs to learn that can only come from playing. If he is ready to enter a game he should do it now so he knows what to do for next season. Sitting around for five months IF he can play sometime soon doesn’t make sense to me. They would be delaying an important part of the rehab process.

good point buddy…………..but remember that he can still work on his games after the season end and have plenty of time to re-ajust in the pre-season and get back into good shapes. if he do comes back for the fews games they have left, just let him play 20 to 25 minutes to overcome the fear of re-injured himself…….forget bout stopping Miami this year! Miami is darn good team plaaying at a high level right now……but As a Spurs fan i hope they can beat them in a 7 games hopefully……OKC is pretty much got stepped on the neck by the Heat….so i dont see them beating Miami.

u cant remove your fear unless u go out there and play.. he is cleared the only thing that is hindering him is the mental side of the injury which he will not be able to do do till he goes out on that playing court.(i.e. rubio, shump, u can even say budinger)… plus pretty bad for fantasy having him stashed for so long and still not playing lol

what do they mean shut him down, it’s whats best for the team. How do they know that? It’s like they are going to win chip a next year, and it’s not like they are guaranteed to improve in the offseason. This is the shot the bulls actually really have. Besides the miami heat, most contenders in the east rosters are caught with the injury bug. The bulls can win definitely stir up some trouble in the playoffs with the addition of rose.

You make a great point that I haven’t heard anyone talk about. Rose needs some games to get back in shape and help the Bulls in a real way but the Bulls are already playoff bound and the East is as you say full of injuries. Ya, maybe next year Rose is 100% and they have a strong season. But this season looks pretty ripe for the picking. Who knows what next season will bring.

this guy is getting paid to play not rest. D.Rose should come back as long as the doctors gave him the green light. If not deng,buzzer, and nuah should all sit out because they are all playing with some kinda injury. This is nba u need to have that warrior mentally thoughness n play through injuries, rose lack that.

Rose is already shut down; they just haven’t made it official. They only have him out there before games to sell tickets, that’s it. He knows, the Bulls know and everyone else should already know he’s not coming back this year. In my opinion he lost his confidence and he’s being overly cautious because of it.

Looks like there is some lobbying going on from other teams. This bulls team plus Rose going to be really good. Even Boozer is looking very active and is playing good this season. The other teams are afraid of Derrick Rose.
I feel Rose should come back against Detroit.

miami should not be afraid of them since they proved to miami nothing. yeah they only proved they can beat miami 1 time in a 7 game series. and that was in a time when miami’s chemistry wasn’t a 100% and lebron was still playing in the atmosphere and not out of this world. so goodluck.

Steve Aschburner has made a lot of great points in his article. Rose definitely won’t have enough time to get into game shape just for the regular season. In the playoffs the level of intensity is so much higher, so if Rose won’t be in game shape for the regular season then he definitely won’t be in shape for the playoffs. There’s a reason for the preseason games – for players to get back into game shape & work on team chemistry. Also, if Rose played now the Bulls won’t have enough time to re-establish their chemistry with Rose in the line-up. The NBA is a mutli-million dollar business & Rose is the Bulls largest investment. It’s all about about long-term & low-risk to win championships. It’s best Rose comes back when he’s ready.

Hey why even make the playoffs then? Let’s just rest nicely for next year! Actually, let’s just rest next year too, to be better the following year. NBA should just end the season now; just hand Labron and them the trophy, right?

That MVP that Derrick Rose got was invalid. That was horrible voting, people keep trying to not give it to LeBron for some reason, it’s what happened when Karl Malone got the MVP over MJ, people didn’t want to give it to him.

I usually don’t comment on posts like this but this is one of the best articles I’ve read about DRose. Im a huge bulls fan and it is painfull to sit and wait but we need to. We need to bring the trophy back to Chicago and the way to do that is with a healthy team. We will back next year Heat Fans! GO BULLS!

You`ll be back next year? really? You said the same thing last year dude ! Come on already, bring it on ! Are you really convinced that you do have a slighest chance against Miami with or without Rose??? Honestly, I do think that Chicago is right behind Miami in the east (both teams fully healthy) but still the difference between them is HUGE.
I know some of you will disagree but I think Tom Thibodeau is the biggest problem the Bulls have in the last few years. The guy is destroying his best players during the regular season playing them for about 44 minutes per game so that he can get the couch of the year. I think thats why Miami is playoff team and Chicago is not. The Heat is in cruise control during the season and they`re strong and ready in the playoffs. The Bulls are the exact opposite.
About Rose, he is a good player and person but I think he is a crybaby. If the doctors says you are ready to play you need to play man. Thats why you get paid.

It’s such a shame to see him go down. He’s honestly one of the greatest players in this generation and he’s one of the most talented hybrid point guards I’ve ever seen. He’s got the strength of many forwards and the speed of many guards. I just hope that he comes back 100% if not this season, then next season. I’m from Toronto but I’ve always been an avid Bulls fan since the Jordan-Pippen days. He’s such a humble guy too and deserves atleast one championship, if not multiple. Get well soon D-ROSE! Chicago’s waitin’ for you homie

I totally agree with you Bro…………….this season is already over with so why bring him back now at the end of this season. i love watching D rose as a fan!!! bring him him next season in full strengh and takes it from there…….but good inside though Bro!

Shut down Derrick rose? what the heck that means?Shut him down until Chicago builds a roster full of all stars maybe and pay him for just sitting there and wait till his team is championship ready? Maybe that spoiled crybaby will just sitback and watch his team play until Lebron Dwade and Howard joins him then maybe he will feel ready to play? We r gunna wait a couple of years i guess untill Rose comes back, it comes out he is way worse than Bynum, i bet they are buddies hanging around together too much, i lost all respect for D rose ill say it again, it doesnt matter even if ur team is the worst team in the league players have to come out and play, the bulls are going into the playoffs and this guy wont even GIVE IT A TRY?!?!?!i mean thats outrageous no matter who u are u are payed to play and do ur best u never know what might happen, Rose is a LOSER.

Come on, he’s not a loser, this a strong word….I think he’s humble, very, very good player. He’s way better then CP3, Parker or Rondo. His injury can end careers, hopefully he can heal and have no issues down the road.
I agree with Steve, he should return next season, Bulls, even with Rose coming back in the next games, won’t have a chance to even go to the Eastern Finals this year so why risk his health and bring false hopes to the fans, anyway, he hasn’t played with his team for a year now, it’ll be hard for everybody to adjust.
Start fresh next season, you have +80 games to get it right.
A Raptors fan.

How is Rose “way better than CP3, Parker or Rondo” ? Derrick Rose is a more likeable version of Allen Iverson, I agree he is electric, and amazing to watch. But like Michael Vick in football, they don’t have the basketball IQ or the other skill s needed to become one of the greatest. We all love Rose because he keeps putting up points on the scoreboard, but he will never be the POINT GUARDS that CP3, Parker, or Rondo are.

No chance? Come on, the chance is right there,even without Rose they have chance to make it through. They’ve gotten this far, I would’nt trade their position right now to their chances next season even with a healthy Rose. I mean it’s just the same, you rack-up enough wins to get to the playoffs and make a strong stand and push to survive the succeeding rounds right. Oh they have a chance right now,and Rose’s return will make a stronger case out of it..However,it’s Rose’s call now… But Rose or no Rose, I’m pretty sure the rest of the team will be more than willing to pick up the slack left by their star’s absence. Win or lose, Bulls will live on.

Apparently you have never done anything in your life other than hang out in a dark bedroom playing video games and maybe some pocket pool. That’s pretty big of you to be so judgmental. I wouldn’t call out a loser because I’m not familiar with the qualities of one. It’s not like he has as hard a job as you flipping burgers or pumping gas, but he does need to be in at least as good a shape as you. I can’t wait for D-Rose to come back and throw it down in everybody’s faces! B!!!

Even though you might be too harsh in his criticism, I am inclined to agree. If this were any other player other than the media darling Derrick Rose, we would be tearing them apart right now. Imagine if it were LeBron, we would be crucifying him. Do you really think the great competitors of this league would have been this scared to go back and play even though they have already been cleared? If the Bulls were not going into the postseason, I would say just wait until next season but your team is going into the playoffs and you still don’t want to play because you are scared? That just sounds like nonsense to me. Jordan would never have dreamed of taking the rest of the season off if he had the opportunity to win it all. Sometimes you have to take risks to achieve greatness, all the competitiors of this league know that, why do we apply different standards to our precious D.Rose?

this is something many people keep saying but both players had theyr ligaments “reconstructed”, not repaired, simply because doctors take some of your healthy ligaments and put them in place of the broken one, simply different people can react in different ways, some will recovery in 6 months, some in a year, some never, i know what im writing because of a similar surgery i had on my knee, and it took years before i started plat again not wearing a heavy knee pad,

Rubio and Rose went down at very different times. Rubio’s injury was much earlier IN the season that enabled him to come back during this year’s season, and he still isn’t close to the player that we have seen last year.

Rose went down during the POST season last year, and the estimated time of recovery from an ACL tear is 9-12 months, with it varying between individuals.

Also, Rose is a player that relies heavily on his explosive ability to play at the level he is accustomed to; Rubio, not so much.

Just because the two had the same injury, doesn’t mean all the other circumstances are the same.

You’re an idiot. An acl tear is such a significant injury that no two are the same recovery wise, this is coming from someone who has torn their acl on both knees, and is studying physical therapy as we speak. Before you open your mouth, know what you’re talkin about

best point guard ever? little early to state that no? He has the potential to be, first person that comes to mind is Magic Johnson, Theres Oscar Robertson, Kidd, Nash, Payton, Stockton, I.Thomas. He has a long way to go yet.

I agree! Shut it down Rose come back stronger than ever! Its tough and I feel it for his team but cut the drama and just come back next year! Its not fair to the fans and your team to think you might return this season.